Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-14
TIME TO PLAN AND WORK.

The way to high character is to go about
building oneself up on the basis of merit,
and not by pulling down others seek to
rise. What is true of individuals is true
of communities; they must progress to a
high plane of prosperity by building
themselves up upon native merit, not by
attempts to belittle other communities.
Every moment given to sneering at the
success and methods of others, is worse
than lost. If devoted to home develop
ment, the time given to envy and detrac-
ton will make any town, and it will make
any man with native ability. The dis
position in some quarters to prophesy the
collapse of booms" that have "struck :"
our neighbors; to belittle and discredit
the methods of cities and sections, which
have brought the tidal wave of progress
upon them by application of energy and
will power to natural forces, is mean,
vulgar and paralyzing. No man ever yet
won respect, or commanded the esteem
and confidence of men, who made it his
business to revile his fellows and tip tilt
the nose at their labors, and as has already
been said, this truth applicable to the man
fits precisely the groups of men that make
up communities The "boom" will never
come by crying" for it, or by doubling
and struggling of the shoulders at what
Others towns are doing.
1t is no concern of ours that Santa Rosa
has raised 100000 to improve that
locality that San Jose has set apart
100000 to boom that city; that
Stockton has devoted $4,000 a
month to give new motive power
to her ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that instead
of questioning the wisdom of these poll
cies, we ought to find in them causes for
consratulation, and new stimulus to local
endeavor Whether the era of high prices
and plenty will continue in Los Angeles,
ought to concern us only so far as to urge
us to pattern after her public spirit and
enterprise. Least of all can we find profit
in sitting idly by and sneering at southern
advancement, and iterating that in this
section We have better soil, better climate,
better markets, and greater productive
ness. The thing to do is to congratulate
Los Angeles and set about schemes to come
abreast with her; to do, and not longer to
moan or talk; to cease belittling and pick
ing flaws, and go to work with energy in
awakening the spirit of progress which is
born only of endeavor and its wise direc-
ton.
Northern California is not doing .ithe
of that it should do, and is able to accom-
plish in settling and developing the coun-
try. 1t has native ability and natural ad-
vantages, but is using neither with tenth
part of the evidence of appreciation of the
wealth of these endowments that it should.
Let the people cease prophesying what is
going to happen elsewhere, and make
things" happen here that will fill our
vacant places, and multiply trade and in
dustry.
We repeat, the boom will never come, it
must be brought; and no one will bring it
for us. There ought to be town-improve-
ment societies in every northern and CEN
trail town around which public spirit can
organize local-interest booming associa-
tions to awaken, marshal and direct public
effort and individual disposition and to
bring thousands of desirable home-seekers
to our hills and valleys. There ought to
be such quickening of local pride that a
revolution in the ideas of progress viii be
worked before the summer is over. These
things have been done in the south, and
are being done in Sonoma, Santa Cruz,
Alameda, Santa Clara and Placer. They
ought to be done in all the northern and
central counties, where it would seem
there is rather a disposition to wait and
see if others do not fail, than to profit by
their example and succeed.